My New Ride and Home and First Trips

This blog covers between January of 2020 thru December of 2022, thou 95% of it is basically the last 18 months. I have no idea when, or if, there will be another. Vamos a ver.

THE NEW RIDE AND HOME

This is a pictorial - mostly - of my new truck camper. Prior to this I had a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser with a rooftop tent. It was a great setup and took me from Alaska to the Panama Canal with many stops in Mexico and the western US over the years. The picture below is of my favorite campsite in Mexico. Both the tent and the FJ found good homes.

camping on the beach April 2011, Xpu Ha, Yucatan, Mexico

Now that I'm well into my 60's and "officially retired" I needed something more comfortable and long-term. Sleeping in a tent wasn't going to cut it anymore. In January of 2020 I began to consider many possibilities, from buying an Australian-made 'Black Series' off road trailer to refurbishing an old Airstream to buying one of the many camper vans now available. I first nixed the idea of towing something as being too restrictive for accessing off-road areas or navigating small towns in Mexico. I had owned a VW Eurovan pop-up camper for a trip I took through Mexico in 2005-06 and decided they were too small for living in full-time. Vans these days can get really expensive (see 'Sportsmobile') if you want something new with 4WD.

That brought me to truck campers. Long story short I eventually came upon Phoenix Pop Up Campers (phoenixpopup.com), a custom camper shop that happens to be located right here in Colorado. After meeting with the owners, Rob and Cari, followed by many sketches, emails and research, I signed a contract in March of 2020 to build a hard side camper that would mount directly to the chassis of a pickup truck. Hard side vs a pop up, short wheelbase vs long. Every decision is a compromise and I elected to focus more on long term comfort while sacrificing some ability to access difficult terrain. This is, after all, my only home. Whatever I still own in this world is in the truck/camper.

Then along came Covid. 

I had never owned a pickup truck or even thought of buying one. Trying to educate myself on heavy duty trucks without benefit of talking to anyone or being able to see things in person was a frustrating process but eventually I decided on an olive green 2020 Ram 3500 4x4, crew cab, long bed with a 50 gallon gasoline tank. When the Ram factories in Mexico reopened on June 1, 2020 I was lucky enough to talk with a very helpful and knowledgeable salesman and I soon ordered my truck.

Okay, enough background. Here are the pictures that take you through the process from getting the truck in August, 2020 (the first time I ever drove one of these is when I drove it off the lot) to taking delivery on the camper in July, 2021.

my brand-new baby, August 12, 2020, Lakewood, CO

After I bought the truck I vacated my apartment in Lakewood, CO in late August of 2020 and wandered around western Colorado, Utah and finally Arizona to while away the winter as I waited my turn to have the camper built. The demand for anything 'rv' jumped thru the roof with the pandemic and I had to wait ~14 months for mine even to get started. Plenty of time to think about my camper and what to put in it. Even though I had most of it nailed down by early November of 2020 I continued to tweak things right up to the end. I continue to tweak and modify and probably always will.

campsite in the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, Feb. 2021.
the nights were often freezing, the wind was always
blowing and it would rain...not much fun in a tent

I got back to the Denver area in early May 2021 and settled into a rental while the camper was built. In early June I would have to hand over the truck so that Phoenix could remove the truck bed, rear bumper and the rear seat (I wanted maximum storage space). In the meantime, I would stop by on occasion to see the progression of how these campers get built.

the aluminum framing, May 4, 2021

camper with insulation, May 19, 2021

  

inside rough-in May 19, 2021

the labor intensive process of layering material
to create the nose shape I requested, June 7, 2021

truck minus the bed and bumper and with the
camper supports added, June 11, 2021

pick-up day w/ Rob in center June 29, 2021

It was exciting, to say the least, to finally take delivery on my new home some 18 months after I first started thinking about it. I took it out into the Pike National Forest near Fairplay, CO to break her in. This forest area is one I've come back to numerous times as it's convenient to the Front Range where I've needed to return to have upgrades done to the camper and truck over these 17 months (it's now December 2022).

1st campsite, Pike NF, CO 7-5-21

It became apparent pretty quickly that a number of things would need to be changed. The original 65-gallon freshwater tank was too large and its' walls too thin and they would balloon out, pushing on the inside cabinetry and the outside wall. I ordered a custom 51-gallon tank (I now know that a gallon consists of 231 cubic inches) with thicker walls and Phoenix had to pull apart the countertop to switch out the tanks. While they were doing this they needed to correct a number of electrical issues, such as replacing #14 wire with #12 to feed an actual 20A device or replacing parallel #14 with #10 to feed an actual 30A device. 

I decided to upgrade the solar/battery system almost right away and so I had a company down in Peyton, CO called Off Grid Solar Specialists replace some of the equipment and add some safety features like additional fusing and larger wire. My system, to start out, consisted of 4–160-watt flexible solar panels on the roof, with 4-100AH lithium batteries and a 3000W inverter under the seat inside of the camper, along with other various pieces.

After my trip back east during the winter of 2021-22 I realized there is no such thing as enough, or too much, solar regardless of what the calculations say. To that end, Off Grid replaced - in June of 2022 - the existing solar panels with 5–200-watt rigid panels and added a 5th 100AH lithium battery for good measure. Also added was a 60A dc-dc converter and associated wiring and fusing to allow for charging of the lithium batteries while driving (or idling in place). With this I have a fairly stout system to allow for almost endless off grid camping. I haven't plugged the camper in for months. I do not have, nor do I intend to ever have, a generator. My limitation is really the water tank. I can go 8 or 9 days before needing to refill. Now that I have running hot water I tend to use too much.

Here are some pictures of the camper today.

my Quick pitch outdoor shower with teak "flooring"

I decided not to waste space inside the camper with a shower that gets used only so often. I opted for this clever outdoor option built by a South African company called Quick Pitch that they call their en-suite shower box. Also outside is a 120VAC receptacle and a quick-connect for an outdoor propane stove setup, though I've yet to use it. Lots of rv and truck campers tend to set up their cooking outdoors but I personally feel it's too much trouble. I had to do that when I had the rooftop tent and dealing with wind, rain, etc. made it a real chore.

The bathroom is this Wrappon green toilet. It cost a good $1000 but was an excellent investment as it heat seals the plastic "doggie bag". No leaks, no odor, no dumping of black water...thankfully. You can see videos of how it works online. It fits under the seat. I only use this when no other options are available.

the Wrappon toilet

Below is a picture of the now full build out with the 5-100A lithium batteries, 3000W inverter, 60A dc-dc converter and a 250/85 solar panel controller on the back wall. The black device in the right corner is a Truma propane space heater. All of this fits under the seating in the back of the camper.

batteries, inverter, Truma, etc.

roof with 5-200W panels, 2-MaxxAir exhaust fans

Below is a view of the inside showing the rear seating and Lagun table, the 2-burner induction stovetop (no microwave for me) and the 6.4cf Nova Kool side-by-side refrigerator-freezer and a large sink. I picked the upholstery, the curtains, the countertop and the flooring. I stayed with the green theme for the most part. On the wall above the induction is a small controller for the Truma heater and a larger color controller for the solar/battery system. I can also remotely monitor the solar system via an app and bluetooth. I have lots of outlets all over: (6) 120V receptacles, (3) of the 12vdc cigarette lighter type and (6) usb type to charge devices.

inside the camper

bedside view

Over the truck cab in the front of the camper is the 8" queen mattress which lifts up to access the storage where I have all of my clothes. The camper has over 7' clear of headroom, way more than any factory truck camper I looked at. I'm 6'-3" and the lack of any real headroom was one of the things that inspired me to research a custom unit in the first place.

The specified weight limit of the truck (GVWR) with everything, including people, is 11,400 pounds. Even though I'm below that the continuous load made the truck sag in the back. Wanting to bring the rear back up to level meant I had to replace the factory rear springs with custom springs built by Alcan Spring in Grand Junction, CO. I also added Timbrens (large rubber stops to replace the smaller factory stops) in the back to reduce "bouncing". Below is a picture of both of those being installed. Later, I added new Bilstein shocks on all four corners and Sumo springs in the front to finish the suspension mods to the truck.

The final touches in September were to replace the factory 33" tires with Cooper 35" AT tires and I replaced the original $250 aluminum bumper (which was falling off and a piece of crap) with a $3100 custom made steel bumper. Both of these changes make for a more aggressive, cooler look, which was an unexpected bonus!

new leaf springs and Timbrens in the back

new steel bumper

All of my modifications have added to the weight of the rig. According to a CAT scale reading from early October of 2022 I would be about 150 pounds over the 11400 rating when my 51-gallon water tank is full, which is not often. I am looking to jettison a few things to reduce that weight and I'll recheck it in about a year.

the latest version in the Sonoran Desert National Monument, Arizona 11-4-22

I gave the rig a name, something I had thought about off and on for months prior to the build of the camper...the 'greenhouserambler'. I even picked the font (lucida handwriting) and the font color (tan) and size (4"). Gotta love the details.

1. 'greenhouse' because it's my house and it's green

2. the 'rambler' is me

3. the truck is a ram, and green (this was a lucky coincidence)

4. also, another definition of rambler is that it's a simple rectangular house. Ramblers were  largely built after WW2. I think it applies, if you squint a bit.

The cost of the new 2020 truck was $45k (the same new one in 2022 goes for over $55k) and the base price of the camper was $75k. With over $8000 of solar mods, $4000 of suspension mods, $2600 for bigger tires (and a tire calibration by the dealership), $3100 bumper and about $5000 in miscellaneous purchases (a Noco jump starter, a telescoping ladder, camping chairs, a carpet runner, tools, cleaning supplies, etc., etc. it has added up to a pretty big number) the total investment in this rolling home of mine is around $145,000...and counting. I figure $150,000 will be the final number.

ROAD TRIP #1-BACK EAST

I started my first big road trip the 1st of November 2021. This turned out to be about an 11,000 mile round-trip that ended with me getting back to Colorado the middle of May. I get around 10.2 mpg with my rig so a lot of money goes towards gas. I was aware of that going into this but I didn't expect $4-5 gasoline so early on. The cost of life.

map of my 11,000 mile ride back east. Dots are where I spent the night, or ten

After a visit with my friend Scott in Albuquerque my goal was to get to Big Bend National Park. I've been there a few times now and besides not being slammed with tourists you get to go backcountry camping all by yourself in beautiful country. With my lifetime senior card there is no entrance fee to any of the parks and I get 1/2 price on camping. I was able to camp for $6/day.

along the road just north of Marfa, Texas 11-16-21

my campsite in Big Bend, called Rice Tank 11-29-21

The next big stops were South Padre and Padre Island National Seashore, where you can camp on the beach for free. That's where I rode out the Christmas holiday.

free campsite on Padre Island 12-23-21

green jays (!) at Corpus Christi State Park 12-21-21

I then spent a few weeks in central and northern Louisiana, which I liked. The state parks are really nice, they're all on water (sooo much water), only 25% full in the winter and 1/2 price for us old guys ($12-15/night). One of the parks was near the tiny town of Zwolle where the local tamales are apparently renown. They're worth a try.

the local tamales 1-11-22

Then I drove up the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi, a beautiful ribbon of nature that is part of the National Park Service. I'd love to do this drive when the leaves are on the trees, autumn would be even better. There are three campgrounds along the highway, and they're all free! I spent a night at each of them. The northernmost one in Tennessee is where Meriwether Lewis is buried; it's where he committed suicide; they think it was suicide. A great book about him and the expedition is Undaunted Courage.

I love the blue of the Mississippi signs 1-31-22

the southernmost campground on the Natchez 1-31-22

Up into Tennessee and Lynchburg, home of Jack Daniels, where I took one of the distillery tasting tours. This is a tiny town that seems to exist for the sole reason of cranking out the JD. They have a town park along the river where you can camp for the night for $20. You simply walk over to the red brick courthouse in the village square and a nice woman will take your money. I was the only camper.

with the man himself...I bought a bottle. 2-7-22

I spent a couple of days driving thru the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (west to east), a gorgeous part of the country. Even thou the nights were quite cold in the low 20's I was glad to be there in the winter when so few people were visiting or camping since this park is either the most visited in the nation or near to it in season.

GSMNP is famous for the log cabins 2-8-22

a footbridge along a hiking trail 2-9-22

The real purpose of this trip was to visit with family and friends, most of whom I hadn't seen in 15-20 years. A long time. My first stop was with my brother Bruce, his wife Ann and their sons Ethan and Sam in Waxhaw, NC south of Charlotte.

Ethan, Bruce, Ann, me Sam. 2-20-22

My two nephews are each 6'-7", in case you think I shrunk. I was last in Waxhaw about 20 years ago. It was so long ago that no one else but me could even remember!

From Waxhaw I drove down into South Carolina and Congaree National Park. You can backpack or canoe into the backcountry here; otherwise, there are day hikes like this one that includes a fair amount of boardwalk to avoid damage to some of the more delicate ecosystems. Edisto Beach, my next stop, is on the ocean and includes a nice State Park.

boardwalk in Congaree NP, SC 2-22-22

5 turtles and 1 gator in Santee, SC 2-25-22

           

salt marsh behind my campsite, Edisto Beach, SC 3-1-22

Next was my brother Denis, his wife Denise and their daughter Taylor in Lawrenceville, GA which is just east of Atlanta. After a couple of days at their main house we went down to their lake house near Sparta where I spent most of the next week hanging out.

Denis, Denise, Taylor, me 3-4-22

Denis and me on his boat at the lake 3-6-22

Then it was south into Florida. I have friends who winter down in Bonita Springs, just north of Naples (this area got hit hard by Hurricane Ian in September but both of their homes survived basically unscathed). I made a swing thru Vidalia, home of the onion where they have a small museum, which I checked out. It only takes about 15 minutes but I felt it was worth paying my respects.

home of the sweet onion 3-17-22

I stayed in the center of Florida to miss the coast crowds and finally made it all the way to the bottom of the mainland, Everglades National Park. Early April was a good time to visit since the bulk of the crowds was in March, or earlier.

along the scenic highway, Everglades NP 4-4-22 

the "pass" in Everglades 4-4-22

Everglades 4-5-22

anhinga in Everglades 4-5-22

double crested cormorant and fish Everglades 4-5-22

Across the state to Bonita Springs to spend several days with my longtime friends from New Jersey. Jeff (Woody) and I have been friends since the 6th grade...1969! I took the beach photo from the famous pier which was damaged in the hurricane but not destroyed.

Suzanne, me, Joan, Mona, Woody 4-9-22

Naples beach before the hurricane 4-10-22

I made way north and rounded the corner, an area of Florida called the big bend...so there's more than one of those in the good old US. I stayed along a lazy river in the small town of Sopchoppy (great name). There, I saw my first white squirrel. These are not albinos but some genetic mutation and there are a number of them in this part of Florida, apparently. I only saw the one and thought it was pretty amazing.

white squirrel in Sopchoppy, FL campground 4-16-22

Along the way to visit my friends in Pensacola there are so many beautiful white sand beaches and Florida has a number of state parks that take advantage of those beaches. I stayed at one outside of Destin called Henderson Beach. Expensive at $48 but the location was worth it. Sometimes you just got to pay up.

beach looking towards Destin, FL 4-18-22

I stayed with Ted and Terri for 5 days and one day we drove down to the famous Flora-Bama bar (it must be an amazing place if you're in your 20's) and had lunch at a nearby shrimp joint. Pensacola is a navy town and the Blue Angels fly out of there and practice every week right overhead. That was really cool.

Pensacola Beach 4-21-22

Ted, Terri and me 4-21-22

Blue Angels practicing over their house 4-20-22

I started west from Pensacola for the final leg back to Colorado. Driving along the coast thru Gulf Shores, AL to Fort Morgan you can take a ferry across Mobile Bay to Dauphin Island for $26. It takes about 30 minutes.

the ferry ride 4-24-22

Once across I kept as far to the south as I could and after skirting New Orleans drove to the coast of Louisiana where it seemed there was always more water than land.

an empty road near Pecan Island LA 4-27-22

another ferry at Cameron, LA 4-27-22 (cost: $1)

into Port Arthur, TX 4-27-22

I had wanted to see the famous bluebonnets of central Texas and they are supposed to be widespread in the hill country between San Antonio and Austin. I got there too late and saw none, however. Another time. Northwest thru San Angelo and Big Spring, the countryside getting drier and flatter. West of Big Spring is the town of Tarzan. I pulled over to take this picture.

Tarzan, TX 5-2-22

Once back into New Mexico I went over to White Sands National Park, the world's largest gypsum dune field. Sunglasses recommended.

dune fields looking west 5-6-22

in the dunes 5-6-22

There is a small town called White Oaks, NM and the big claim to fame is the No Scum Allowed Saloon. I had to check it out. It has a Little Bear vibe (a well-known bar in Evergreen, CO) inside and is a place I could easily drink a Saturday afternoon away while the band gets rowdy. If only there was a place to park the rig nearby. Maybe there is, I should have asked. Anyway, I had one Bud and continued on. I was able to snag a dispersed campsite to the south near the town of Capitan. Then I spent a day to visit the three pueblos of Salinas Pueblos National Monument in central New Mexico.

No Scum Allowed, White Oaks, NM 5-7-22

Quarai, Salinas Pueblos, NM 5-9-22

dispersed site near Capitan, NM 5-7-22

Along Highway 84 just north of the CO-NM border is a dot on the map called Chromo. Just north of that dot is some national forest and that is where I spent my first nights back in Colorado. I had never heard of Chromo before this but the area is typical rural mountain Colorado...beautiful. Continue north on 84 and you end up in Pagosa Springs. This is basically the end of the 'Back East' road trip.

dispersed site near Chromo, CO 5-12-22

ROAD TRIP #2-BLACK HILLS 

After spending some time around Evergreen, CO and having my new solar panels installed I thought taking a road trip up eastern Wyoming and into the Black Hills would be a good way to enjoy the month of July. The first area I went to via Kremmling and Walden CO was the Snowy Range in southcentral Wyoming. I had never been here and some of it seems fairly remote. I wandered maybe 20 miles into the forest before I found the spot pictured. I saw no one for 3 days. I was surprised to find this small clearing; the forest was otherwise dense with underbrush and I can't imagine trying to bushwack my way thru it. Thought for sure I was going to see bears, but I only saw mule deer.

dispersed campsite in the Snowy Range, WY 7-7-22

map of my second 2600-mile trip in purple July 2022

As you can see from the map I continued north via Laramie and then from Medicine Bow on miles of dirt road, cutting thru ranchland where I saw hardly anyone or anything, except an occasional herd of cattle. All I knew was to keep going generally north as many of the 'roads' had no signs and they didn't show up on any map, online or otherwise.

the Virginian Hotel, Medicine Bow, WY 7-11-22

north of Medicine Bow 7-11-22

I spent a few nights in the Black Hills just north of Sundance, Wy before heading over to Devil's Tower and the Big Horn Mountains further to the west.

Devil's Tower, WY 7-14-22

Devil's Tower, WY 7-14-22

I was able to fill my freshwater tank at a public spigot next to the tiny town park in Ten Sleep, WY. (Ten Sleep is about as Wyoming as a name can get, I think). The woman in the adjoining town museum told me that not only was that water drinkable, but that it came from an artesian well and that they had won awards for how good that water was. I don't have pics of Ten Sleep but it is a very pretty town and area.

As I was approaching the even tinier town of Shell (a general store, post office and small rv park...where I ended up spending the night) I realized I had a leak in one of the rear tires. My first flat! Thankfully, the post office had a handicap parking spot that was paved with level concrete and that's where I proceeded to read the owner's manual to figure out how to use the multi-piece jack and lower the spare from under the truck. While I was slowly making progress a man named Ray came by after passing the post office a few minutes earlier. He wanted to make sure I was doing okay. A few minutes later Gloria came by in a golf cart (she worked at the rv park next door) and she, too, stopped by to check in. I had to take their photo. Very nice people. BTW, the general store also has a restaurant/taphouse inside that looks quite promising, but it was closed in the short time I was there.

Gloria and Ray in Shell, WY 7-19-22

Shell, WY as I was leaving the next morning 7-20-22

Back up the road from Shell is the bigger town of Greybull where the local Big Horn Co-op was able to fix my flat, swap out the spare and help me get the spare back up underneath the truck, all for $16. Quite the deal, I thought. That whole thing could have been so much worse if I had gotten that flat out in the national forest somewhere. Dodged one there, big time.

Heading east from Shell back into the Big Horns is the beautiful Shell Canyon and waterfall.

Shell Canyon east of town 7-20-22

Shell Falls, WY 7-20-22

Dropping dramatically in elevation on the east side of the mountains just north of Sheridan I drove up to Little Big Horn Battlefield.  It's a sobering walk among the unknown soldier tombstones as you try to visualize the chaos and terror for both sides that day.

Little Big Horn National Monument, MT 7-21-22

Next I drove east over to the border with South Dakota where there are some scattered hills that are part of the Custer National Forest. Otherwise, it's prairie as far as the eye can see.

eastern Montana prairie 7-21-22

sunset at my dispersed campsite in Custer NF, MT 7-21-22

Just a few miles east of where I camped is a speck of a town called Camp Crook, SD. I just had to see what Camp Crook was all about as a good friend of mine from my working days, Dan H., calls this his hometown. It's bigger than Shell, WY, I'll say that much. 

From there it was a straight shot down to the Black Hills of South Dakota, an area I had briefly visited about 40 years ago. The first town you come to is Spearfish, a town I liked even thou it's on the interstate. Then I went east to the Badlands. First, I stopped into Wall Drug, a place that I had always been told you have to visit at least once. Having now done it, I can say that's not true. Unless you really need to buy crap or eat crap with hundreds of strangers, then I would recommend a hard pass. 

Badlands National Park, however, is worth the trip.

Roughlock Falls, Savoy, SD 7-25-22

Badlands NP, SD 7-25-22

Badlands NP, SD 7-25-22

Immediately to the north of the north entrance of the park is public land where you can camp for free. You will have many neighbors at this camping area as everyone tries to get as close as possible to the edge of some Badlands, even if technically not in the park.

free camping on the edge, Badlands, SD 7-25-22

Back over to the Black Hills to see Mt. Rushmore and the Crazy Horse Monument. I had hoped Crazy Horse would be further along but it won't be done in my lifetime, that's for sure. Impressive and ambitious.

Mt. Rushmore, SD 7-27-22

Crazy Horse, SD 7-27-22

the final result...someday 7-27-22

The following day I took an underground tour at Wind Cave National Park. It's an interesting place but of the few cave systems I've been in, Carlsbad in New Mexico is numero uno. That's one I hope to see again.

the Assembly Room, Wind Cave, SD 7-28-22

above ground at Wind Cave, SD 7-29-22

I made a stop at Agate Fossil Beds in far west Nebraska and dropped back into Colorado along Highway 287. Take Highway 14 up into the mountains...gorgeous country.

along Hwy. 14 near Gould, CO 8-2-22

That ends my second road trip.

MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS

I thought I'd throw in some extra photos from the last few years and some more recent ones I've taken as I made my way into southern Arizona for the winter. I was going to drop into Mexico but decided I wasn't up for all of the driving. 

A question I sometimes get is how I find places to camp. Sometimes I'll use campgrounds, like those in the national forests or on blm land. They can be convenient and I get those for 1/2 the price with my Lifetime Senior card. I'll also use state parks, which I did quite frequently on my trip back east. Some folks will spend a night in a Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lot (I call it the camp of shame), for example, in order to save some money on a campground. I'd rather pay the money, personally. Someday I'm sure I'll have that honor.

I also use a couple of apps. The most useful is one called iOverlander. This app covers the globe and has a lot of information for road warriors. Another one I sometimes use, thou not as relevant for my purposes, is Campendium. I'll often use an app called US Public Lands which I use to zoom into specific areas to see whether an area I'm interested in is, in fact, public land or private.  Another app that looks promising is called FreeRoam. It has an amazing amount of information.

I'm currently camped (December 2022) on blm land southwest of Gila Bend, AZ. I first saw some people had pinned a spot on iOverlander. Once I got to the area (exit 78 on I-8) Public Lands helped me determine what was public as it's very scattered around this area, pockets here and there. I drove 7.8 miles north of the highway along some dirt roads and thru a couple of dry washes (high clearance recommended) and found something remote and peaceful and free. 

National forests usually have what are called motor vehicle use maps (MVUM's) that I use to see what roads are available. You can download these for free to an app called Avenza Maps for offline use. Very helpful.

Sometimes I'll get a tip from a fellow camper or I'll simply google the crap out of an area I'm interested in. Obscure camping opportunities may surface. Various Florida water districts allow free, or cheap, camping on some of their lands, as do some equestrian clubs.

Anyway, some more pictures.

Burr Trail switchbacks, Capitol Reef, UT 10-6-20

Escalante Grand Staircase, UT 10-8-20

driving thru Zion NP, UT 10-14-20

Arizona sunset 2-3-21

hawk in the KOFA, AZ 2-20-21

the Goosenecks, Utah 4-2-21

antelope north of Fruita, CO 4-23-21

camper with awning deployed 7-10-21

Pike National Forest, CO 7-30-21

remote campsite Big Bend Ranch State Park, TX 11-17-21

long billed curlew Padre Island, TX 12-26-21

Ocean Pond campground, Osceola NF, FL 3-26-22

Palmetto State Park, LA 4-26-22

Scott and me, Albuquerque, NM 5-11-22

rare 'free range' sign with horse, San Luis, CO 5-19-22

Pikes Peak Range Riders, CO 6-16-22

at the Painted Wall, Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, CO 9-28-22

on the Grand Mesa, CO 10-3-22

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde NP, CO 10-12-22

near Tres Piedras, northern NM 10-13-22

Lower Onion campground east of Moab, UT 10-19-22

Needles Overlook, Canyonlands NP, UT 10-20-22

drive into Canyonlands-Needles, UT 10-21-22

Newspaper Rock near Canyonlands, UT 10-21-22

flying object in Sonoran Desert NM, AZ 10-27-22

    

campsite in the Sonoran Desert NM, AZ 10-28-22

7.8 miles north of I-8, AZ 12-13-22

The last photo won't win any beauty points but it was good for sitting out and watching the Geminid meteor shower on the night of December 13. People sometimes ask, "what do you do out there?" One thing I do these days is look up more at night. Being out in the woods and the desert has made me more aware of all of it. Last week I watched the lunar occultation of Mars. I had never even heard that term. But watching Mars disappear behind the moon and reappear an hour later on the other side was really neat.

What else do I do? I'm just living life except on the road, trying to chase the best weather when possible. Most days are as uneventful as they would have been otherwise. I'll take walks to explore the area, read, cook, surf the 'net when it's available, take naps, blah, blah, blah. The interesting stuff like seeing a destination for the first time or visiting with friends and family is more occasional. Today I'm going into Yuma to pick up my new mud flaps!

Well, that concludes this blog. More words than I intended but there you go.

Later.